<div dir="ltr"><font size="6"><b>Post-ESF assessment</b></font>
<p class="MsoNormal">Posted by ybelov<br><br><span style="">@ <a href="http://ybelov.livejournal.com/176134.html">http://ybelov.livejournal.com/176134.html</a>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Мой отзыв об организации работы переводчиков на
Европейском социальном форуме: слишком много говорили о деньгах, сэндвичами
могли бы кормить поменьше, а материалы для тренингов подготовить получше. В
целом же очень неплохо, и, конечно, не было ничего подобного "эксплуатации
переводчиков". </i><br>
<br>
The Forum in Malmö was my first experience of a social forum, so I cannot compare
it with other forums. <br>
<br>
What surprised me at this forum was the fuss about money. In my opinion there
was no need to hold meetings so late at night to discuss the reimbursement. I
do not know why people got so upset and passionate when they heard that that
not everyone would be reimbursed in cash. It may be an issue for non-Europeans,
but not for those who live the EU and can get money via PayPal. <br>
<br>
As for other practicalities, such as accommodation, meals and the bus card, I
have nothing to complain about. Rodrigo was helpful and efficient. Though they
could have fed us on sandwiches less often, and I hope that those bulky plastic
packages, which contained our meals, were properly recycled. Surely, I did not
encounter any semblance of "exploitation" or "slavery",
mentioned in the Babels declaration.<br>
<br>
I was a bit disappointed about the training. I had never interpreted from a
booth before, but at the training sessions I was constantly told that I was a
professional and so there was no place for me. Had I known about it before, I
would not have come before the start of the Forum. In the e-mail messages,
though, I was advised to come for trainings well in advance. The trainings were
somewhat chaotic: there was a lack of microphones, the wires of some head-phones
were too short, and on the training DVD it was difficult to find suitable
materials. <br>
<br>
Concerning the lexicons, I think they need to be standardized, that is put in
the same file format and duplicating files should be eliminated. Besides, some
"terms" in the lexicons are too easy. I have translated two lexicons
into Russian and I will continue this work. <br>
<br>
For the next time I think that interpreters should be better informed of what
is expected from them and how they can practise while still at home. They need
to have at their disposal speeches and lexicons from previous forums, and these
materials should be better organized. <br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>*Declaration read at the Assembly of the Social
Movements*</b><br>
(read by Pietro, surrounded by a dozen Babelistas)<br>
<br>
"This is a message in the name of the Babels coordinators for the 2008
ESF.<br>
<br>
We would like to thank the people of Malmö and the volunteers of the Forum for
all their efforts.<br>
<br>
But we would also like to denounce the lies circulating about Babels.<br>
<br>
This has not been a Social Forum. It has been a Forum where arguments about
money were more important than people. The Nordic Organising Committee had
agreed a budget for interpretation and all they have been saying is that we
cost money.<br>
<br>
The supplement to the ESF program claims that the ESF needs to charge money
because "it is expensive to hire interpreters". That is a lie. We have NOT been
hired, each one of us is an unpaid volunteer.<br>
<br>
It is important to know that we are all VOLUNTEER interpreters and activists,
and that we have NEVER charged any money for our work. Why is the NOC lying to
you?<br>
<br>
Because the decisions of the finance group of the NOC to save one cent here,
one cent there, have tragically backfired.<br>
<br>
There are many examples of the incompetence of the Organising Committee. We
shall give you but one example: the NOC did not allow us to buy cheaper tickets
in April, when tickets were cheap. We had to wait for months to be given the
go-ahead, because the finance group of the NOC made it clear that they did not
trust Babels. We could not even be trusted to buy water bottles or notepads.
Instead, the NOC took decisions without consultation to save money while bigger
issues were ignored.<br>
<br>
The interpreters needed decent accommodation, bus tickets, we needed a phone to
be able to call to arrange accommodation, we needed basic things like
mattresses, bedsheets and covers. But we never got any of this on time.<br>
<br>
Despite having agreed on a budget for Babels, Francisco Contreras and Anders
Palmqvist were the only people in the ESF allowed to use the Forum's credit
card. Because they did not trust us with anything, we never got anything on
time: decent accommodation, bus cards for interpreters staying far away, water,
mattresses, bedsheets, covers, toilet paper, earphones and many more necessary
material to live and work in decent conditions.<br>
<br>
Francisco Contreras made promises to us EVERY SINGLE day, and every single day
he broke his promises. Our biggest mistake was to trust him and believe him,
and to trust the members of the Board of the NOC to do what was necessary to
make the forum work.<br>
<br>
If we had known that they were lying to us, and that they would break promise
after promise, we would not have allowed ANY of our volunteer interpreters to
come to Malmö to be treated like they were. We should have cancelled
interpretation long ago.<br>
<br>
Because of this miserly attitude, there were NO sound technicians whatsoever in
order to make the interpretation equipment work properly. The finance group
thought it was too expensive to pay for an experienced technician from Greece to come
to Malmö to teach others how to use the equipment. The forum saved a plane
ticket from Greece,
but the result is an immense waste of money and resources.<br>
<br>
Now we have been promised that the travel costs of the Babels volunteer
interpreters would be reimbursed, including the charge for bank transfers. It
is very difficult to believe in these promises. This breach of trust is
detrimental not only to the Forum, it is also detrimental to the trust that
Babels volunteers have put in Babels itself.<br>
<br>
Instead of dreaming about change and on how to make another world possible, we
have been cursing the day we trusted members of the NOC.<br>
<br>
Babels volunteers have worked and slept in the most terrible conditions during
this Forum. Now some are saying that we are too expensive, when we have been
shamelessly exploited, and treated like slaves.<br>
<br>
We have proved in others forums that we can do our job well when we are allowed
to do so. Babels hopes the Istanbul ESF will trust Babels volunteers to make
Another World Possible."</p>
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